Color Matching Printables for Toddlers

 

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Kids are naturally drawn to colors, which is why simple color matching activities are usually a hit with young children. Toddlers who are learning about colors will love these hands-on activities using pom poms, pouch caps, playdough balls, or anything round and colorful that you have at home.

These free printable activities are great for fine motor skills, visual discrimination practice, learning colors, patterns, and even to practice counting and letters!

Here is what I have included:

 

-Make a House

 

 

 

-Make a Fish

 

-Flowers

 

 

-Car

 

 

-Counting/Number Quantity

 

 

 

-Complete the Patterns

 

 

-Blank: Create your own!

This one can be used to make anything you might think of such as letters, numbers, or any other picture or pattern. We used it to practice the letter M - see picture below.

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy them and I would love to hear about what you did with the blank page - leave me a comment!

 

Download your Free Color Matching Printables for Toddlers

If you don't have pouch caps, don't worry! These printables work GREAT with pom poms. You can buy them at any craft store, or use my affiliate link below:

 

Book Activity: It Looked Like Spilt Milk

 

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We got an awesome package in the mail recently from Devany at Still Playing School as part of the Love Books Summer Exchange, organized by The Educators' Spin on It. This is a great program every year where bloggers team up and do a book & activity exchange! It was super fun and I am so glad to have been a part of it!

The book we received from Still Playing School was It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw (Amazon affiliate link). As it turns out, my daughter and I had never read this book before, so we were very excited to read it! When I saw the title I thought this is perfect because my girls spill milk almost every day at our house!

But the book is not actually about spilt milk. It is about clouds and how they come in many shapes and sizes and, with a little imagination, they take the form of many different objects, animals and familiar things!

My daughter cracked up laughing the first time we read this book! It is really funny because it leaves you guessing until the end. This is a perfect book for toddlers, as it is mostly pictures that toddlers can identify, and it teaches how to use your imagination to see objects within abstract images.

After reading the book a few times, we couldn't wait to do the fun activities we received from Still Playing School. Here they are:

1. Paint Blots

 

 

Fold a sheet of blue construction paper in half and open it up. This is the "sky". Squeeze some paint in the middle and fold it again. Open it back up and see what the "cloud" looks like!

We did this one several times and each time I asked my daughter "What does that look like to you?" And I was impressed by her answers! Flower, spider, and a dog's face!

2. Paint Blowing

Squeeze some white paint on the blue construction paper. Then, using a straw, blow the paint around. What does the "cloud" look like?

This one was fun because she has never used a straw to manipulate paint before! It took a couple of tries, but she got the hang of it!

3. Parchment Paper Shapes on Blue Construction Paper (our favorite!)

 

Still Playing School sent us these really cute parchment paper cut-outs (hand-made) in the shapes of a dinosaur, a train, a teddy bear, an airplane, an elephant, and several other animals and objects.

My daughter played with the cut-outs on top of the blue tissue paper. She loved the train shape and made up a story about how all the other animals and objects are riding the choo choo train! We turned the ceiling fan on and it started slowly blowing the shapes across the tissue paper, mimicking clouds being blown across the sky by the wind. She spent quite a while with this activity and really used her imagination!

4. "Cloud" & "Sky" Sensory Bin

This activity was especially fun for my daughter because we don't do too many sensory bins at our house. So she jumped at the opportunity for messy sensory play! This sensory bin was made with blue water beads, which is the "sky", and soap foam for the "clouds". To make the soap foam, I just poured some liquid dish soap into a mixing bowl, added a bit of water, and mixed it with a hand mixer for a few minutes until the soap foamed up. It was really simple and my daughter had a blast!

5. Melted Pony Bead "Clouds"

 

This was a really cool activity - and a first for us! Pony beads melt at about 400 degrees F and fuse together to create a really nice smooth piece of plastic. This should be done outdoors because of the fumes, and can be melted on a grill or a toaster oven outside. It took about 20 minutes for the beads to melt and you will know it's done when you no longer see individual beads, just one smooth piece of plastic. Let it cool for a few minutes and you can remove it from the pan easily.

 

Once we had our melted bead "cloud" we looked at it from different angles and finally decided that it looked like a rabbit!

 

Thank you, Still Playing School for your awesome ideas and activities! Check out her blog for more creative playful learning activities! Also, be sure to check out the book activity that I sent to her, based on Harold and the Purple Crayon!

 

Click here to read about it!

 

 

Look & Find Coloring Pages

We know that coloring pages are great for building concentration, fine motor skills, creativity and independence, so I took it an extra step further and added a "look & find" element to make them even more fun and challenging!

This set of Look & Find Coloring Pages include 5 pages. On the side or top section of each coloring page your child can see the items they need to find and color.  

These sheets are perfect for:

• Independent & quiet activities for kids
• Great for traveling
• Fun & educational at the same time
• No color ink needed! black & white coloring pages
• No preparation needed! just print the pages & give them to your child along with crayons or markers

 Click Here to Download your Free Look & Find Coloring Pages

If you enjoyed these coloring pages you might also like our Free Cutting & Coloring Pack!

Book Activity: I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean!

 

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I recently had the great pleasure of writing a guest post at Rainy Day Mum, as part of her Story Book Summer Series. This is a series where guest bloggers are invited to share a favorite book and activity to go along with it.

 

The book I chose is I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry.

 

Check out the post here!

 

 

Colored Sand Art Activity

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Looking for a fun and easy art project this summer? Try this colored sand art activity. All you need is colored sand, liquid glue and a DIY coloring page. Let me show you how it works!

 

 

 

Step 1: Make the coloring page

 

With a black sharpie, I drew a simple picture on a sheet of heavyweight art paper. (If you don't have heavyweight paper, you can just draw on a regular piece of paper and back it up with something like a thin cardboard. This is because regular paper won't hold up the weight of the sand.)

Keep the picture as simple as possible. For kids under 3, I would stick with a few shapes or maybe a letter.

 

Step 2: Your child uses a paintbrush to "paint" each shape with glue, then sprinkle sand over it.

 

 

Important - only paint one shape at a time! Then, help your child sprinkle sand over it. Once the sand covers the glue, pick up the paper and pour the rest of the sand back into its container. Repeat this for all shapes. (see progress pics below)

 

Tips to minimize messes:

-Start with only a small amount of sand for each color. You don't need a lot.

-If it's a beautiful day and you have outdoor space, consider doing this activity outdoors!

-If indoors, try this activity on a large table, with something to cover the table to catch the sand.

-If all else fails, don't worry, this is what vacuums are for!

 

Recommended Products: 

Tangram Shape Puzzles for Toddlers

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

My girls have loved puzzles from an early age. When my first daughter was a toddler, I created these Tangram-inspired matching shape puzzles for her to practice shapes, colors and spatial skills in an easy, toddler-friendly way.

What are tangram puzzles?

Tangrams are traditional Chinese puzzles made from a square that is divided into seven shapes. These shapes are rotated, moved and arranged to create specific forms and figures using all seven pieces.

Tangrams are very good for critical thinking and spatial reasoning skills. They're a lot of fun for kids of all ages!

If you are interested in Tangram puzzles, you can purchase them through my affiliate below:

The printable puzzles that I created come in 2 difficulty levels. For younger toddlers (around 18-24 months), there are fewer pieces to match and the design is simpler. The shapes and colors are independent from each other, so the child can match either by color or by shape. For older toddlers (around 24-36 months), there is another level of difficulty as they have to match the shape, size and color at the same time. Some shapes are the same size but different colors and others are the same color but different sizes.

As with most of my toddler printables, I recommend that you laminate the sheets & use velcro dots so that you have a durable and reusable puzzle that your child can do over and over again, and you can use with future children.

Note: Some of the pieces in the more advanced puzzles are fairly small, so always use under adult supervision. After laminating and cutting out the shapes, some of the corners may be sharp (particularly the triangles) so I recommend cutting off the corners.

Download the Free Printable Puzzles here:

Tangram-Inspired House Puzzle

Tangram-Inspired Fish Puzzle

You might also like our Robots Shape Matching Puzzle:

15 Backyard Learning Activities

The kids and I have been spending a lot of time outdoors this summer, and we've started to run out of new ideas. So I wanted to put together a little collection of learning activities that can be done right in the backyard! These activities combine gross motor skills, active play and natural curiosity to help children learn letters, numbers and science!

Learning Letters & Sight Words Outdoors

1. Watering an Alphabet Garden by Toddler Approved

2. ABC Garden Hunt by Fantastic Fun and Learning

3. Gross Motor Phonics Games by Learn Play Imagine

4. Sight Word Scavenger Hunt by Sugar Aunts

5. Letter Hop by It's a Long Story

Learning Numbers Outdoors

6. Number Splash! by And Next Comes L

7. Put out the Fire! Number Game by Toddler Approved

8. Math Fun in the Pool by Toddler Approved

9. Number Identification Life Sized Board Game by Coffee Cups and Crayons

10. Pedal for Numbers by Dabbling Momma

Learning Science & Nature Outdoors

11. Outdoor Color Matching Game by Nurture Store

12. Sink or Float by Buggy and Buddy

13. Homemade Giant Bubble Recipe by Happy Hooligans

14. Ice Experiments by Teach Mama

15. Nature Cuttings: Outdoor Scissor Skills by No Time for Flash Cards

Teach Letter Sounds with 26 Photos

 

I had the amazing opportunity to write a guest post for Teach Mama! So I decided to share this super cool and fun activity for learning letters and letter sounds. It's actually multiple activities in one, and it was a huge hit with my daughter!

 

Click here to check it out!

Preschool & Tot School Resources for Back to School

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I've done a lot of educational activities with my daughter over the years.. hence this blog, Totschooling! Now that she's turning 3 this summer, I feel that she is ready for a formal preschool curriculum. I did a lot of research and I decided to buy Angela Thayer's The Preschool Journey. I love it so much that I became an affiliate so I can help spread the word about it.

I plan to use this curriculum with my 3 year old starting this fall. At the same time, my younger daughter will be about 1 1/2 which is around the time I start taking "tot school" more seriously.

I've never been able to find a Tot School curriculum or guide of any kind, so I always improvised. But I have great news for you! A little birdy told me there will be a Tot School eBook launching September 1st. I can't disclose any details yet, but I do want to tell you that I'm a contributor to it! Stay tuned for details to come!



 

I'm looking forward to using both of these resources in the Fall with my daughters!

 

Let me tell you a little more about The Preschool Journey and why I chose this curriculum!

 

• This is a 160 page eBook that includes a 26 week Preschool curriculum for children ages 2 1/2 - 5.

 

• Can be used as a homeschool curriculum or as a supplement for children attending school.

 

• It explains in detail what skills your child needs to learn in Preschool and how to prepare them for Kindergarten

 

• 26 weeks of lesson plans centered around letters of the alphabet. The plans include an alphabet letter craft, games, hands-on activities, and a list of books to read for each letter.

 

• Each week is full of hands-on educational activities for learning not only letters and letter sounds, but also math concepts, art skills, motor skills, as well as sensory and social development.

 

• Includes 50 pages of printables to use for these hands-on activities.

 

• Also includes ideas for how to set up and organize your preschool at home, and how to schedule your day.

 

If you are planning on homeschooling your preschooler, this is the ultimate resource!

 

 

Angela Thayer, the author of The Preschool Journey, is a former public school teacher turned stay-at-home mom to her toddler and preschooler. She has the experience and knowledge to put together an amazing preschool curriculum, and she did!

 

The Preschool Journey normally runs for $6.99 but it is currently ON SALE for only $3.50 from now until August 11th.

 

Just use the Discount Code: SUMMER14

 

 

 

Click below to purchase The Preschool Journey!

 

OR
 

Click here to visit Teaching Mama. (Angela's website)

Learning with Nature

In today's modern world, it is easy to forget the importance of connecting with nature on a regular basis. Research shows that children who have daily contact with nature benefit in many ways: physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually.

Even kids who are indoors most of the day can still benefit from incorporating natural materials into their learning activities. Here are some great ideas to inspire you! 

Stimulating Learning with Rachel has many 4 Ways to Simple Sensory Play from Left Brain Craft Brain
Outdoor Activities for Kids from A Little Pinch of Perfect

Rhyming Sorting Game with Free Printable

Why is Rhyming important for preschoolers to learn and practice?

• It increases their phonological awareness (ability to listen and discriminate between the different sounds that make up words) which is one of the biggest indicators of reading success.

• It helps them recognize rhythm and patterns in language, which improves their oral language skills.

• It teaches them to make predictions and anticipate a rhyming word, which is an important reading skill.

There are many ways to practice rhyming with your child:

• Read lots of rhyming books

• Read and memorize nursery rhymes

• Sing and memorize rhyming children's songs

• Play rhyming games like this one!

This is a Free Printable Rhyming Sorting Game that you can use with children of different levels. For kids who are starting out learning about rhyming, you can have them sort only 2 or 3 groups of cards, while more advanced kids can sort all 6 groups. This is great for both readers and non-readers!

Here is how I played it with my almost 3 year old:

I set up 3 groups of cards, then gave her one card at a time to sort in the correct group.

I started out by asking her "Does bat rhyme with cat, does bat rhyme with dog, or does bat rhyme with pie?" She was confused at first, so I said "Bat rhymes with cat because it sounds like cat. Bat, cat, bat, cat." I did that for a few cards until she got the hang of it and started doing it on her own.

Click here to download your FREE Printable Rhyming Sorting Cards!

For another rhyming activity check out this Dr. Seuss Rhyming Hat printable: